


Breaking Bonds

by HappinessNeverEnds



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bittersweet, Emotional, M/M, Pining, Sasuke POV, thought experiment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 13:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17684015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappinessNeverEnds/pseuds/HappinessNeverEnds
Summary: Thought experiment ofwhat in the world was going through Sasuke's head.I played a 'what-if' game just for fun.What if it wasn't Naruto - who is an idiot, who definitely has no emotional self-awareness, probably - that understood this connection between them?What if it was Sasuke who understood? Who knew of their potential, of the potential between them?...And chose to break the bonds anyways?A ficlet.





	Breaking Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this 6 years ago. So. Posted with some minor editing, let me know what y'all think?

[Chunnin exam, in the forest.]

_"Don't touch me."_

Long-suppressed desires threatened to force their way to the surface. _No!_ He mentally slapped himself. _You do not allow yourself to be distracted. Focus on your goal, your goal is to destroy Itachi._ He summoned those images of broken bodies strewn carelessly over splatters of blood. Memories unfurled within him. Stumbling through the darkness, slipping on surfaces drenched in blood. Footsteps, echoing behind him, louder... closer... His eyes, that mutated Sharingan boring into his soul... Dark emotions consumed him. The horror. The terror. The self-loathing at his helplessness. 

To his relief, fury soon followed, driving his initial distraction deep into the back of his mind. Finally composed, he dared not glance back up at Naruto, instead keeping his face low, hidden behind his hair. He couldn't afford to be swayed by these strange new feelings. He had made his choice. He will abide by it. He will get revenge.

In retrospect, it was ironic that the greatest threat to his goal would be from the person that he trusted the most. Comrade, friend, rival....... the two of them were all that, and more. They had both borne a loneliness that no one else could understand; they were both suffering it even now. It had linked them together in an unbreakable bond, for only they knew how it felt like to be completely and utterly alone in the world, only they knew how much strength it took just to get from one day to the next. The first time that he had laid eyes upon Naruto, he had immediately seen through the cheerful, I-don't-give-a-damn, idiotic facade to the darkness hidden deep underneath, concealed from everyone, maybe even from Naruto himself. He didn't know the reason for the pain, and he had never asked, but he recognized it all too well. It was the same pain that he had been and still was living through everyday.

Besides his brother (Itachi- don’t say his brother- not his brother- no longer his brother), Naruto was probably the only one that he respected. No, in fact, he didn't really _respect_ Itachi. He feared him, hated, despised him. His goal was to kill him, and surpass him. But Naruto, he almost liked. In fact, sometimes he suspected that his feelings for Naruto ran even deeper than just like. For example, that rush of emotions a moment ago, when Naruto had laid his hand on his shoulder and asked if he was alright, had almost knocked him off balance. But he could never allow those emotions to surface. They were obstacles to his goal.

He wasn't stupid. Allying with Orochimaru was dangerous, and the seal was definitely hard to control. But he needed the power. He had been prepared, ever since a long time ago, when he had decided to not run away but to instead face it head on, to use whatever methods he needed to reach his goal. No matter what, no matter who stood in his way, he would push past them and move on, further into the darkness.

Even if that person who blocked his way was Naruto.

Therefore, he had to start distancing himself now. This friendship was dangerous, too detrimental to his goals. Sasuke decided-- because of the strength of the understanding between them-- that he needed, more than with anyone else, to cut all ties with Naruto.

 

 

[The battle at the Valley of the End]

Sasuke grimaced. He had known that Naruto wouldn't give up. Naruto would never had won his respect if he was the kind of person that just stopped when the road got too steep. But this will be troublesome.

For the first time in days, he looked up and met Naruto's eyes.

Clear, pure, sky-blue. Even his damn eyes had such an effect upon him. Damn him. _Damn._

"Why, Sasuke? Stop-------" The same old husky voice felt very different now to Sasuke's ears. Maybe because this was the last time he'll ever hear it from Naruto as a friend. Maybe it was because of the same reason that the sight of his blue eyes had such a profound effect upon him. Sasuke had thought that it was impossible to feel more pain, but evidently not, for his heart twisted again in agony. He will miss his Konoha days, especially those of when he'd been part of Team 7. But it was too late to turn back now. He had made his decision. He would abide by it.

He cut Naruto off. "You have no family, so of course you can't understand. You would never understand." He saw Naruto flinch. He continued, despite the agony raging within his heart. He was hurting Naruto. Naruto didn't deserve this, but it was the only way he knew to make Naruto stop. "You can't lose what you don't have in the first place. You've never had a brother, so you've never lost one either. You've never loved a brother so much that the betrayal triggers so much hatred that..." _you would betray your best friend...._ "you would strangle and squeeze the life out of him.

"What do you know? You don't understand anything."

But he will. Sasuke knew that Naruto saw him as family. Sasuke knew that he himself _was_ Naruto's brother. His actions tonight would be just the same as what Itachi did. Naruto will, and will have every right to, track down and hunt him forever. Today, he had made a powerful enemy. An enemy that was the one person that he loved and respected the most. He would have to kill him. The only way to ever stop that baka would be to kill him. Sasuke felt numb.

_Maybe there was a better way......_ Sasuke couldn't stop that little nagging voice at the back of his mind. If he asked Naruto for help in his revenge, Naruto would definitely agree to help him. And hadn't Sakura said that she would come, too? Team 7 would never have to be broken.

But he knew that this could not be. First of all, they would never get enough power to kill Itachi. He knew his own brother. Itachi's powers were terrifying, and after so many years, who knew how much he had improved. Team 7 would never be a match for him. Also, and maybe more importantly, this was something Sasuke had to accomplish alone. This was none of their business, and Sasuke couldn't get them involved. He wouldn't let them get involved. He would kill Itachi by his own power.

All this ran through his head as he triggered the seal, and the out of control chakra concentrating on his arm, for a last Chidori. He was exhausted, and he knew his own limits. Across the river, on top of the First Hokage's head, he saw Naruto also gathering his chakra. And that strange orange chakra appeared again, thickening, and covering his body in a plasma bubble, mixing with the blue chakra in a whirling ball, the Rasengan.

This would be the last blow. This was all they had left for, both of them.

With a sudden start, Sasuke recognized that orange chakra. The kyuubi. No wonder....... memories flashed into his mind. Adults whispering, pointing at the blonde boy; the whiskers on his face; the lonely apartment, with nobody ever there; Iruka-sensei, treating Naruto to ramen, and Naruto grinning as if it was the best thing that could happen to him in the world.

Maybe Naruto would prove to be a match for his own dark chakra, after all. 

No matter, he had expected nothing less from his oldest rival.

Maybe Naruto would be able to bear the pain of betrayal. Maybe he wouldn't hunt Sasuke forever for revenge. Sasuke wondered if Itachi had felt any of this, then banished the thought. Itachi was a cold-hearted murderer, a monster that had killed his own parents. He couldn't have possibly still felt any affection for his younger brother, whom he had taunted in his own helplessness. Naruto was strong, maybe even stronger than him, Sasuke.

Maybe Naruto, one day, will be able to forget his old friend, and succeed in becoming the Hokage. And although the thought of being forgotten twisted another dagger into his heart, Sasuke admitted that this would probably be for the best. Naruto would make a good Hokage-- although he didn't know it, he'd attracted many friends and supporters. He had a good heart, and was strong.

But this also meant that Naruto would stubbornly refuse to forget Sasuke. Damn that baka.

He would have to make himself not worth remembering. "So you're a monster, too, huh? The only difference between us is that you were born a monster. You were always a monster, I see. You're even more of a monster than me."

"Shut up, Sasuke," the orange figure hissed.

They both, almost instinctively, pushed off the statue underneath their feet at the same moment. They rushed at one another, and their final attack met in midair. Then a blinding explosion.

 

*********

 

 

Sasuke staggered to his feet, and groaned. He looked over to where Naruto laid unconscious beside him. He had won.

Sasuke gripped his kunai. Now was the time. He had to finish it. He had to kill Naruto, and end this matter once and for all. But his body refused to obey. Instead, the kunai fell to the ground, and Sasuke dropped to his knees. Sleeping, Naruto was beautiful. No obnoxiousness, no stupidity. Sasuke leaned forward, and pressed his lips against Naruto's. A wry smile flickered through his thoughts. He can’t blame it on an accident this time.  


Then, he struggled to his feet, and staggered away. Whispering thoughts floated through his mind, words that will never be spoken. _  
_

__

_I hope you never will understand my actions. Because when you do, you will become the same as me, obsessed with revenge.  
_

__

_You were a good friend, you baka.  
_

__

__

_I'm sorry, Naruto.  
_

__

__

_Goodbye._


End file.
